Was I having a vision?
 
 Since when did I havethatgift?
 
 “I don’t…I don’t understand.”
 
 “And you won’t, precious one,” a voice spoke from the darkness. “Not until you find the truth and allow it to begin.”
 
 I turned on the spot, chest tight, fists ready to smash faces. “Who said that?”
 
 “The truth will unfold as it must, precious one,” the voice said.
 
 It was a fractured voice, a monochrome tone.
 
 Thunder crashed, the flash of lightning shining across the door. It revealed nothing in the darkness.
 
 This is wrong. This place is wrong.
 
 “Who are you?” I questioned, taking another step back, rain hit my back.
 
 “Find the truth, precious one. Find the truth to begin.”
 
 “Why can’t you tell me what this means?” I snapped back.
 
 Fuck this cryptic shit.
 
 Hiss…
 
 “Hello?”
 
 No answer.
 
 I cracked my knuckles. “Are you still there?”
 
 Nothing.
 
 Hiss…
 
 I glanced over my shoulder, the night too thick behind me. But so was the darkness beyond that damn door. Neither was on the fun list, my body and soul screaming a huge nope.
 
 “I can’t stand here forever,” I mumbled.
 
 Precious one? Really? Why would anyone say that about me?
 
 Welcome to Cryptic City.
 
 Hiss…
 
 Silvanus appeared again for a few seconds before he vanished. Didn’t even give me enough time to process his arrival, or to let out a yelp of surprise.
 
 Okay. What the hell? There were funny games going on here, me one of the unwilling pieces.
 
 My suspicions pointed to the vampire king. Maybe being a thrall gave him ample opportunity to fuck with my mind. What a prick, but it made sense. Why wouldn’t he put me through my paces? I mean, wasn’t he just getting started with the vengeance thing?
 
 He’d enslaved me, and next came true suffering. You didn’t kill the vampire king’s bestie to get handed a bunch of roses.
 
 The thunder boomed, louder than before. I was sure I felt it shake the ground.
 
 “Shit,” I grumbled, struggling to make a choice.